Elders and general stakeholders in the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC), have condemned the choice of the Speaker, state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi-Salihu as the party’s 2027 gubernatorial candidate, describing him as lacking capability, ability and charisma to fly the APC flag.

They said that the APC candidate does not represent the strongest political option available to the party to win the next year guber race.

The elders warned that unless President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the party wade into the raging crisis that had emerged from the Speaker’s candidature, the party may lose Kwara State to the opposition.

Addressing newsmen on the “state of Kwara APC”, in Ilorin, on Monday, the elders, led by Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye, said, not only that the Speaker lacks the political goodwill, “the process that produced him is faulty and lacks credibility.”

They disclosed that the way and manner in which Danladi was allegedly foistered on the party is condemnable and unaccepted, saying that: “the institution [APC] is being led towards avoidable danger.”

According to them, the purported governorship primaries slated for May 21, 2026 never held, “the circumstances surrounding the result of the governorship primary election that was purportedly held in Kwara State, have generated concerns among members and stakeholders across the state.

“The unexisting primary election left much to be desired because one of the gubernatorial aspirants, Rt. Hon. Engr. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, the present Speaker, who had earlier secured the seat to return to the State Assembly, was surprisingly announced as the winner of the election that never took place.

“We are therefore amazed, very disturbed and concerned that the Governor, who is the Leader of the APC in Kwara State, upheld the purported victory of Hon. Danladi and went ahead by presenting him to the National Leadership of the APC, as the Gubernatorial Candidate for the Party in Kwara State,” they lamented.

They alleged that none of the party’s critical stakeholders, “including many Aspirants, Party Elders and some important political office holders, were sufficiently consulted or carried along in decisions that would ultimately determine the future of the APC in the State.

“He is neither the most popular nor the most broadly acceptable option available to the APC today. We do not believe he possesses level of statewide appeal required to unite the party, inspire confidence among undecided voters and effectively confront a rapidly strengthening opposition.

“More importantly, we are not persuaded that he is the strongest Candidate available in the party to provide the kind of leadership required to address the numerous developmental, economic and security challenges confronting Kwara State at this period.

“As patriotic elders, we have watched subsequent developments carefully. We have listened to Party Members; we have engaged Stakeholders across the three Senatorial Districts and we have observed public reactions and assessed the changing political environment.

“After these consultations and assessments, we have arrived at a conclusion that is neither convenient nor pleasant,” they alerted.

Consequently, they appealed to President Tinubu, the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to take a second look at the situation in Kwara State.

“We urge them to engage more broadly with the Critical Stakeholders across the State and to consider the long-term health, stability and sustainability of the APC above all other considerations.

“The future of the APC in Kwara State is too important to be sacrificed for the ambitions of a few individuals,” they feared.